I’m sure I’ve mentioned time and time again that Zelda has had a huge influence on my taste in music. Ever since I was little I was entranced by the melodies of the series and I never grew out of it, but at a certain point I had to ask myself, “Is it normal to listen to only music from a video game?” Of course, this happened at a time where I was more self-conscious about my inner geek whereas now I wear it on my sleeves, but still, if I never had this thought, I wouldn’t have discovered some really great music.
In this Medli’s Melodies article, I’d like to try something a little different. Instead of sharing songs from Zelda, I wanted to share songs by new-age classical musicians and groups that share the same feel and influence as those songs that come from the games. I know there’s probably some of you that may be a bit disappointed or puzzled by this, but I’m certain there are others like me who have their curiosity sparked by these oh-so-familiar-sounding tunes.
Now, before I get to these songs, they may not all be technically “new age” classical. However, they are all subgenres of classical music. Whether it be new age, scores, Celtic, folk, or even modernized classical, they all take great inspiration from original classical made popular by musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach — just like the Legend of Zelda series does. Some of these pieces even take advantage of using more modern instruments, going as far as using synthetic instruments and beats.
“Adagio” by Secret Garden
I’ll start with a song that’s near and dear to my heart, “Adagio” by my personal favorite group, Secret Garden. When I finally decided to give this new kind of music a chance, this was the first song to pop up on Pandora, and instantly I was in love. Secret Garden, in this song especially, has similar musical tendencies to Zelda by making simplistic but memorable and beautifully orchestrated songs. I could easily imagine this piece playing somewhere in Ocarina of Time either as background music during a cutscene or a song that Sheik would teach to you.
“Autumn” by Ryan Stewart
I tend to favor songs with choirs (whether they be synthetic or live) and this song has me in a state of bliss. I’m easily reminded of the gentle choirs that accompany Fi in Skyward Sword as she dances and delivers Hylia’s messages to Link — seriously, place this song while playing the scene on mute and it gives the same elegance and grace to the scene as the original song, “Message from the Goddess.”
“Caribbean Blue” by Enya
When I first heard this song by the ever-popular Enya, my first thought was, “I would love to hear this song in a video game.” Just like the title instates, this song definitely makes you imagine seas of blue. The synthetic bass accompanied by the vocals would make an absolutely perfect fit in an underwater level in a Nintendo 64 Zelda title — I can just see Zoras swimming along in rhythm!
“Ever I Love You” by Tim Janis
The woodwind that leads the piece in this beautiful melody could easily be filled by that of an ocarina, making this song definitely feel at home in Ocarina of Time. Again, a simple-yet-elegant melody would fit right alongside tunes like “Minuet of the Forest,” “Bolero of Fire,” and “Serenade of Water.” Even as a title scene — put down your pitchforks, I know that Ocarina of Time’s is iconic — I could see a piece just like this filling the title screen of a future Zelda title (that is if we get an actual title screen this time around).
“Finding Beauty” by Craig Armstrong
The very instant you press play on this song, there is a steady rhythm that brings me back to the dungeons of A Link to the Past. While it’s not exactly the same, the resemblance is absolutely there. There are also a lot of modern sounds and techniques being utilized in Armstrong’s orchestration which makes the song all the more suspenseful. If you’re tired of a certain song in any Zelda dungeon, I’d recommend hitting mute and letting this roll on loop instead.
“Fionnuala’s Cookie Jar” by Secret Garden
The Wind Waker’s score is heavily influenced by Celtic music, especially when it comes to the songs of the sages. Makar’s music in general has a very Irish influence and it’s amplified by his instrument of choice, the violin. While I very much wanted to share a piece by Celtic Women, I just felt this song by Secret Garden was much closer to the music we hear in the game, especially when I think of the violin performance in “Ceremony in the Woods.” Can’t you just picture all the Koroks dancing around to this jubilant tune?
“Night: Part 1, Snow” by George Winston
Another song that, when I first heard it, my mind was immediately brought to Zelda. The repetitious piano made me think of the “Lanayru Mining Facility” theme from Skyward Sword. That and its nature of impending suspense would make for a perfect dungeon theme! Though this song is just piano on its own, Winston’s performance does not sound empty or missing any extra instruments, knowing just when to fill the silence with those deep bass notes.
“A Water Lily” by Jia Peng Fang
“A Water Lily” clearly takes influence from old Asian cultures, just like many of the orchestrated pieces in Breath of the Wild. While this song would do nicely as a theme for a village, I think its passion and grace would better suit the accompaniment of a legendary creature, such as the dragons. Couldn’t you just imagine hearing this as a huge, gentle creature grazed by?
“Waterfall” by The Piano Guys
The Piano Guys are well known for their fun, inventive covers of popular movie themes or classical reimaginations, but they also create their own songs from time to time. This piece written by pianist Jon Schmidt is so full of wonder and exudes just as much creativity as any of their cover pieces. A sensation of joy and wonder radiates throughout the piece, and honestly, I couldn’t place it in one specific Zelda game, but many! The fun melody and beautiful performance could easily fit into any fun-filled scene that Link may encounter on his countless journeys.
Yes, I did include quite a bundle of songs here, and you can bet any amount I would have included more if I could. Because of my love for Zelda, I went out and sought more songs that would ring tenderly in my ears just as those iconic tunes we all know and love did.
Music is such an important part of my life. While I don’t play instruments much myself anymore, I can’t imagine a world where I couldn’t listen to it; where I couldn’t feel the passion and emotions behind songs. Though there may seem to be an endless supply of Zelda songs, the music lover in me desired more, and these are some of the gems that I had found. Of course, I’ll never tire of listening to Zelda music and will be blasting “Saria’s Song” ’til the day I die, but I also couldn’t live without the many other artists that invoke those same emotions in me. Who knows, perhaps Zelda, in one way or another, inspired these artists or even vice versa? We may never know and we can only hope for more of whatever inspiration and heart that drives these artists to perform.
